The Role of Model Farms in Practical Oriented Farm Management Training in Hungary

The purpose of this paper is to review experience in establishing and operating model farms for practical oriented agricultural training and demonstrate examples of these farms from Hungary. Training ofpotential farmers or farm managers should comprise teaching of both theoretical and practical knowledge. Students studying agricultural engineering in college or university level can be considered as potential farmers. In order to start successful farm business activities after finishing their studies the acquisition of practical knowledge of farming on a skilled level has greater importance than to get a degree. Such a kind of agricultural training can not be realised without different practical educational methods and tools. To introduce these tools into the educational practice necessitates a proper scene where the real conditions of farming could be demonstrated for the students. In Hungary this scene could be either a model farm belonging to a college or a university or these institutions can co-operate or contract with an existing farm business enterprise to provide educational models. Considering recent and further restructuring of Hungarian agriculture and the human resource background of it the rapid development of practical oriented farm management training has utmost inportance. During this process only well-informed professionals with high theoretical and practical qualification will be able to establish and manage successful, competitive and sustainable farms.